1998 Ford E-150 problems & reliability
60 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1998 Ford E-150, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1998 Ford E-150 vehicles were involved in 5 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 15 | 25% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 15% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 13% |
| Power Train | 5 | 8% |
| Suspension | 5 | 8% |
| Steering | 4 | 7% |
| Tires | 4 | 7% |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 5% |
| Visibility | 3 | 5% |
| Wheels | 3 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 20 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 25 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 92,917 miles (middle 50% between 75,000 and 142,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 1998 ford e-150. While the contact was filling up the fuel tank with fuel, the fuel leaked out. The service engine warning indicator illuminated, indicating a fuel leak. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the midship fuel tank developed a crack where it…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Apr 10, 2017
“Tl* the contact owned a 1998 ford e-150 equipped with a cci airtouch pneumatic gas/brake. The model was unknown. While driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle began to accelerate without cause or warning. The failure caused a crash with another vehicle, trees, and a street lamp. The contact attempted to brake, but…”
Equipment Adaptive/mobility · filed Feb 4, 2015
“Left front tire (michelin p235/75r15 ltx m/s2) separation at 25 mph. Also, noticeable stress cracks on the sidewall of the tire. Tires bought 01/2010; with 7/32 tread remaining. Reference 13t012000. *js”
Wheels · filed Jul 7, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
Technical service bulletins
60 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1998 Ford E-150. The 10 most recent:
Brake booster system may exhibit a brake pedal kickback and/or grabbing condition when applying the brakes. *nj
071110 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 19, 2007
Vibration/harshness above 45 mph (72 km/h) after tire balance. *tt
05248 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
FRONT BRAKE PAD WEAR. *TT
17381 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2003
Some vehicles equipped with 4r70w transmission (driveshaft >70 inch) may exhibit a vibration / roughness on acceleration or under load at about 50-55 mph. *tt
15799 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2002
Subject regarding exaggerated engine braking on deceleration. *yd
15517 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2002
Some vehicles may exhibit accelerated front disc brake pad wear under extreme loading conditions. *tt
15354 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2001
Some vehicles may exhibit rapid wear of the front brake pads (under 10,000 miles). *tt
15038 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2001
Information used when servicing, or replacing the cng fuel fill valve on all dedicated and bi-fuel cng vehicles. *tt
15082 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2001
Some vehicles equipped with 4r70w transmission (driveshaft >70 inch) may exhibit a driveline vibration / roughness on acceleration or under load at about 50 - 55 mph. *tt
14992 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2001
Information on diagnosing a vehicle with malfunction indicator lamp illuminated and diagnostic trouble codes p0442 and p0455 stored in continuous memory. *tt
99234 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 15, 1999
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1998 Ford E-150 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1998 Ford E-150?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 92,917 miles — worth a pre-purchase inspection if the car is near that mileage.